Like, near the Alpha phase. Which is bug tests.
Er, no. Alpha is really everything before and including putting the game together, plus a few bug tests but only initial bug tests. I'd prefer to state the Predevelopment phase is before Alpha, and Alpha is actually putting the game together, but that line is rather blurry by definition, as sometimes you make internal demos and tests and those can be Alpha or even Beta before the full game is put together much less testable.
Beta is bug tests, bug tests, and more bug tests of the full game. Therefore Hero6 is still in Alpha after 6? 7? years... but it should be Beta sometime soon. Hopefully!
I don't really know though, because since I left the team people just tell me that work is "going great". Which doesn't really mean anything unless backed by facts of HOW it's "going great" but hey. PR has it's job to do, right?
That said, there is definitely something going on... and it's big. And I'm not too sure of the details but am trying to find out more from various people who would know what it is.